


The Radio Demon's in the Detail

by DiscordMars



Series: The Radio Demon's in The Detail [1]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Angel Dust Character Study, Angel Dust Tries (Hazbin Hotel), Asexual Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Canon Asexual Character, Chaotic Neutral Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Character Study, Hercules (1997) References, Hurt Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Inspired by Fanart, Inspired by Twitter, Major Character Injury, Mind Games, Multi, Possessive Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Possibly Pre-Slash, Protective Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Protective Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Self Degredation, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Smart Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), probably pre-slash, somewhat ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22585153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiscordMars/pseuds/DiscordMars
Summary: The task itself seemed simple enough. Alastor, much like every soul, had a weakness. Angel just had to find out what it was. He had a year.The problem was, Alastor wasn't supposed to matter. Angel wasn't supposed to care.AKA,Alastor wants entertainment. Angel wants his afterlife back. They make it work.
Relationships: Alastor & Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust & Charlie Magne, Charlie Magne/Vaggie, Others are Mentioned - Relationship
Series: The Radio Demon's in The Detail [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665355
Comments: 9
Kudos: 342





	The Radio Demon's in the Detail

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Radiodust comic by Fallen Pink Angel @HC4Art. 
> 
> Page 1 link: https://twitter.com/HC4Art/status/1208195290160697345
> 
> Made some edits so its easier to read, thinking about a part 2...

The task itself seemed simple enough. Alastor, much like every soul, had a weakness. Angel just had to find out what it was. Seduce it out of him, whatever it took to get anything that could be used to destroy the infamous radio demon.

After all, it was the least a stupid slut could do for his generous daddy, right?

What made him give in to the idea was the incentive, of course. Angel had been slacking off on his “duties” since becoming a patron at the hotel. The shows and the clients got more brutal, left the spider with more bruises and deeper wounds that didn’t seem to satisfy them or his pimp.

Not that he minded it too much at first, but even a masochist at heart like him had limits. Showing up to the hotel half dead wasn’t fun in itself. It was even worse when met with the sad and pitying look on Charlie’s face after his last client left him carrying two of his own severed limbs back into his room, clumps of burnt fur and blood leaving a trail behind him.

So when his contract was presented to him for the first time since his infernal descent, Angel paid attention.

“One last job baby-doll. Do it, and I transfer your contract to the King’s brat.”

How could he say no to that?

* * *

The problem was, Alastor wasn't supposed to matter.

To Angel Dust, it started out about as well as he had expected.

The harlot held back little in terms of what he was known for. When in the presence of the radio demon he took every chance he had, undeterred even by the overlords obvious apathy to lust and physicality. Every dirty joke met with a mean letdown, every touch he initiated resulted in a harsh shove and a reminder of the “Five-foot rule!” put in place.

But that was okay. No one expected anything different from Angel, thus anything that may have hurt he shoved down with the thought of what was practically freedom. Charlie was practically harmless in comparison to any overlord, the princess was way too sweet for her own good at times.

Even if she despised the idea of essentially owning Angel, the spider knew she would never ask for much outside of helping at the hotel. At worst that would mean no more drugs or violent endeavors, but she wouldn’t restrict him any more than he could manage.

The hope such a change ignited in him was more than enough motivation for the spider to put his all into his goal. Into getting the radio demon to slip up something, somehow.

But of course, Alastor ruined that about a few weeks in.

“You could be so much more than you allow yourself to be, Angel.”

The static overlord made the comment with a sigh and an offhanded tone. Alastors typical smile still remained on his face after shoving Angel off him yet again. But to the spider, Hell might as well have frozen over.

The adult star’s eyes glazed over, a stare of blank shock at Alastor all he could muster before he silently left the hotel lobby, a confused “Angel?” from Vaggie the only real response to the arachnid’s sudden withdrawal and shift in mood.

After that, Angel’s advances came to a halt. He had felt those words strike a part of himself that he had thought died with his first life. It echoed with his thoughts, left him reeling and confused for days after. For the first time since he was given his mission, he evaded the company of the radio demon. He avoided everyone in fact, save for the presence of his loyal piglet.

He had just assumed all of Hell saw him the same. The only exception he could think of was Molly, but it was only because his sister saw the beauty in even the worst that Hell had to offer. It was second nature to her.

But he was a cross-dressing whore and a junkie, nothing more and probably less. That was supposed to be all. What else was there? What was he if he couldn’t even do that right anymore?

It took him a few days to even consider what Alastor perhaps had meant, but it seemed that he wasn’t the only one looking for some sort of confrontation on the matter. The sudden feel of static on his fur made him alert to the Radio Demon in his suite before a word could be said.

“Ah, Angel Dust! Charlie was worried you had keeled over in your chambers. Though that may still be true, you look like absolute shit!”

The spider set Fat Nuggets on the floor, letting the pig scurry away a distance from the cannibal overlord. Sitting up from the heart-shaped bed wearing little other than his pink satin robe, Angel stood and marched to the overlord with intent. All four of his limbs and fluffed fingers gripped the red suit, shoving the shorter sinner onto the closest wall audibly.

“Why the fuck would you say somethin’ like that, huh?” Angel got to the point immediately, yet Alastor merely laughed.

“Is that what made you leave? Perhaps I should say it more often!”

That only put Angel in more distress,

“You know what’s up. I know you know, that I know you know what’s up. So for once, don’t toy with me and tell me. Why. You. Said. That.”

Angel shook and trembled, whether with fear or rage the spider didn’t care. Alastor seemingly did, though. His laughter ceased, replaced by an eerie calm that should have unnerved the arachnid, but only fueled him more.

“You know why, Angel. I notice….things. Especially things that have the potential to be interesting.” The spider was no match to Alastor’s strength as the scarlet sinner removed the pale fingers from his person,

“You play your cards better than you believe, yet you chose a dangerous game to play with such calculated but reckless abandon. All for what? I wonder. I’d say if you weren’t so annoying at times, I would actually like you.”

“That sounds like a load of bullshit and you know it.” Angel Dust barked back.

“I don’t lie, Angel. Keep my hand close to my chest, yes that’s true. But I have no issue with answering the right questions. Things are so much more entertaining that way.”

* * *

Something changed after that. Angel was still Angel of course, but it was as if the cards had been reshuffled and dealt out again, this time in his favor. Along with the typical flirting and debauchery Angel carried on with when in the presence of others, there was a sort of silent agreement in place between him and Alastor.

The adult star pulled back some of his verbal and physical advances, and true to his word Alastor answered whatever he was asked, just not always how he was expected to. It was almost funny to see Valentino silently fume when all Angel would be able to tell him during the periodical rendezvous were things practically useless. About how Alastor went “weak at the knees” at the memory of his mamma's cooking or that the overlord “would die for” a good book of dad jokes.

At the same time, some of Alastors answers were met with genuine interest from Angel and even some answers of the spider’s own. The moments Angel found he enjoyed most in those months were the ones that found them alone, just talking. When he could take the time to study what each one of the Radio demons’ many smiles and laughs meant, or could listen to the overlord sing show tunes in a drunken stupor.

They were not quite close but, it was something that he didn't expect to like as much as he did. The feeling seemed mutual. Alastor didn't push him away nearly as much, even initiated more so, and the jabs and slights didn't slip so deep or hurt as bad as they once did.

The murderous cannibal and the reckless harlot. It was strange, but it was theirs. No one that mattered needed an explanation.

* * *

"Angel, baby…. You've been busy, haven't you? It's been a while since we struck our little deal.”

One year to the day, in fact.

Another extermination had come and gone, and while no one had been redeemed and many were still lost, Charlie remained hopeful. Everyone at the hotel had survived, there had even been more interest and wayward souls come in since.

Angel himself had been relieved to hear from Molly and Cherri, who had apparently shacked up with a certain snake for a bit of time. A year had gone, which meant Valentino had to keep his part of the bargain.

Unfortunately, the pimp overlord didn't seem to agree.

“I hear you’re quite close and cozy with the radio demon himself now, and yet Vox an I are no closer to ending that fuckin’ freak. Now, why is that?"

The grip on Angel’s neck tightened.

“Only did what you asked me to do daddy." The spider squeaked out.

“And yet, you've got nothing to show for it. You thought daddy wouldn't notice huh? That you've been lyin?"

But he hadn't been, not really. Sure, Alastor had left it up to Angel to ask the “right questions”, but it was obvious to Angel that there was just as much truthful bullshit in what the Radio demon said about himself as there was harmless truth. Angel just….used it to their mutual benefit and relayed the info back to Val. Alastor had knowingly shown him the flaw in the pimps’ arrangement, but he had left it up to Angel to set vital pieces in place, with perhaps both of their afterlives on the line.

“You know everythin’ ‘es been willin’ to tell me,” the spider pulled desperately at the iron clad grip the overlord had at his throat, “I did all I could daddy, please!”

The thing about being the underling to an overlord is, they could feel it when you’re lying to them. Angel learned that the hard way very early on in his afterlife, the gold in his mouth a small constant reminder. The caveat, though, is the difference between a lie and the truth feels about the same as the difference between sandpaper and actual sand. The more blurred the line was, the harder it was for an overlord to tell the difference.

There was panic in Angels eyes as Valentino seemingly stared into his being, not for himself, he realized, but for the hotel.

For Alastor.

"Well then Angie, guess you stuck to your word. So I'll stick to mine,"

Angel gasped when the grip on his neck finally relented, sure that he would have a bruise afterward that he would likely have to explain when he got back to the hotel. The pimp overlord held the contract, but Angel took his first exhale of relief only when the contract disappeared from his hand in a cloud of magenta smoke, surely on its way to the princess of Hell. It was over, he was free —

"If you leave here alive, that is."

The bullet tore through Angel’s stomach, with it a pain unlike any he had experienced in his infernal afterlife. The smoking gun had gone off without much warning, at first concealed by smoke. His eyes were wide and clouded with shock.

He shook with agony as he collapsed, his second pair of limbs immediately attempting to stem the pool of red that sought to ruin his white and pink aesthetic. All the air had been knocked out his body on impact, leaving him gasping and curled into himself at the overlords’ feet.

"It took me a while, I can admit. But I think I know one of his weak spots now Angie. You."

The overlord returned the pistol back to the covers of his coat, "You wouldn't believe how fuckin much those bullets cost me to get my hands on. Steel from those exterminator blades is a bitch to come by down here. Honestly, I was going to save 'em for Alastor but a dumbfuck whore like you deserves a sendoff, doncha think?"

Angel gritted his teeth as Valentino grabbed him roughly by the hair.

“What do you say, Angie baby? How about I send back your headless body to Alastor myself? I’d say this was nothing personal, but you were a naggin’ bitch from the start. You just happen to have outlived your usefulness....”

Valentino trailed off as a weak laugh escaped Angel Dust.

“Y-you, were never....plannin’ to let me go, we-were ya val?” He spat blood at the overlord,“….guess I gotta, g-go out with a bang then, don’t I?”

Valentino paused for a moment, but a moment was all Angel needed. The spider let all his limbs free, guns ablaze and shooting. Though they wouldn't do much against an overlord, it did more than enough to distance the pimp from him and shoot out the lights, putting them both in darkness. Injury forgotten, Angel moved. His only exit point? It just happened to be a window that shattered in the hail of gunfire.

And in a leap of faith, Angel jumped.

* * *

He could barely remain upright, even with sitting against the harsh stone wall that lined the bars back alley. Between that and the increasingly daunting task of breathing, the bloodied spider was losing a fight rigged against him from the start. Whatever grip he had on his current reality was from pure stubbornness, much like that of his second limbs applying what pressure they could to the wound to his center.

But even that wouldn't, couldn't last much longer. The dark nothingness was so soothing compared to the hellish red hues that seemed to surround and soak his sight. Unlike the rich red of the Radio Demon that grew to be an almost pleasant color, everything around him seemed to overwhelm what remained of his senses.

Minutes before, he had launched himself from the top floor of a surprised Valentino’s porn studio. Though it was pretty shitty, Angel's amateur web work had saved him in his fall from becoming splatter on the concrete. He had nearly blacked out at the pain his broken fall caused, but he refused to stop moving until he had some distance from his former home.

His eyes slipped shut for what felt like just a moment….

A hand pushed against two of his own, harsh and sudden. Angel's eyes shot open as he out a weak pain-filled cry at the reignited pressure. With a brief panic the spider thought that perhaps Valentino had found him, but...

Static, the humming waves that sat in the background of sound every time certain overlord occupied a space, now filled Angel with the slightest sense of relief and a larger sense of dread.

"Hey, al... g-good to see ya"

The spider tried to sit up further at the sight of the red cannibal but failed when the movement pulled at his injury, the pain unforgiving of his attempt. Though the familiar static was present, Alastor himself remained….unnaturally still. The red hand against his torso remained, yet the trademark smile was warped by a wide yet delicate grin that took visible effort for the radio overlord to maintain. Eyes that flickered to and from dials had remained focused on the growing red that tainted pink and white, until hearing Angels weak cry.

“Who, Angel?” **_W̵̺͉̟͐̄͛h̵̨̠͎̐o̸͚̰̓̈́͆̔ ̷̹̾͛d̸͓̘̫̐͆̽į̶̗̐́d̴̡̦͍̹͙̈́̋ ̸̱̩͘t̴̩̅͝h̸̲̝́̽͘i̵͎̬̽s̴̫̬͔̹͒͆͂̚ ̵̢̰̌̅̒͝ẗ̵̨̥̮͖́̈́ó̷̖͙̀͒̎͗ ̵̧̮̞̀̈́̇̈́͝y̸̞͉̑̀̚ͅo̴̪̩̫̦̦̒̐̊u̵̦͑̈̚?̶̡͇̪̰̝̍͌ ̵̹͓͗ͅW̷̢̝͋͆͜h̴̘̄͛̃͘͝o̴͇̻̍̽̓̂̅ ̶͎̟̥̺̂̕t̶͈̣͊̅̕ô̷͉̦̌̽̏u̷̱̣͂̌̒̓̚c̸̡̛̭͂͋h̷̗͇̬̃͂ę̶͓͙̱̀̅͠͝d̷̨̫̹̓ ̵̢̩̼̻̠̎̎w̶̖̺̩̬͚͌̓̆͋̈h̴̤̫̬̚͜a̵̼͂̊̔̔̀ͅt̷͔̭̊̓ ̷̨̛̣̹̻̏͐͜ḯ̸̬̤̰͊s̶̭̎͐͌ ̴̫̾͐m̵̦̌̎̒̽͐ͅͅi̵̛̛̥͒̒̒n̷͕̑̊̔̾̂è̵̥̖͆̊̈́́?̷̣͕̭͗_**

“Dunno how ya f-found me al but y-you shou….shouldnt have. its wha….’ey wanted, ‘m not worth it, al.”

"....That isn't funny, Angel." The wide smile began to crack.

"not a—," A blood-soaked cough took his breath away, "heh....was never go….good at timin' jokes, huh? could ya...tell charlie sorry? made her cry s-somettimes.... felt bad bu—but never got t-to it...."

"Ridiculous! If you wish to apologize for such nonsense you will be doing it yourself!" Alastor was barely holding himself together, Angel realized.

"aw, al...didnt know ya...cared that much…." the spider smiled, despite the tears that fell from his face.

“Don't be stupid Angel. It doesn't look good on you," Alastor turned his focus back to the wound itself.

A gasp, weaker than before slipped from Angel as the overlords magic removed the bullet from deep inside him. Through blurred and darkening vision, he thought he saw Alastor’s face pale at the sight of the heavenly material, perhaps even a few tears slip through.

“Sorry i…. wasnt more, al” He wanted to say more, to have had more time. But if that was all he could get, he’d be ok with that. They would all be ok.

And so, Angel let go.

* * *

It wasn't really a secret, what the consequence of dying in the afterlife was.

Heaven or Hell, it was the same fate for them all. A black nothing abyss, only your aware consciousness and torturous reflection on what you were as your only company for the rest of eternity.

Despite his jokes, it was a scary thought to Angel. Enough that it sent him into the arms of Valentino in the first place, his only viable option for safety at the time.

So he definitely wasn’t expecting the first introduction to his new world to be Fat Nuggets snoring loudly in his ear. Angel’s eyes shot open with a gasp, startling the worried little piggy at his bedside into loud squeals.

Steps light and quick moved to his side, Niffty entering his line of sight.

“Oh my gosh, you’re up! I’m so relieved, you were almost a goner!” She removed Nuggets from what Angel realized was his bed in his suite back at the hotel. He was home, he was alive….

He was alive?

A dry cough shook the spider when he attempted to speak, met with a glass of water in Niffty’s hands and said water practically being poured down his throat with manic care.  
“Oh! I should tell Miss Charlie you’re awake, you really had her and Vaggie scared, even Husk looked a bit concerned! Don’t move a muscle, I’ll be back!” Just as fast as she appeared, she was gone, leaving Angel Dust alone.

Slowly he sat up. Bed covers colored various shades of pink fell away to reveal his shirtless body. Bandages with blotches of red wrapped tightly around his torso, just under his fluffy bust. The pain wasnt nearly as bad as it had been before, enough that he stood and managed a few steps before he had to stop.

What happened? He was sure that Alastor had found him, but Angel really shouldn’t have survived a wound from an angelic weapon, even with the overlord’s help. Speaking of which, where even was the radio demon? Niffty had mentioned Husk, but surely she would have mentioned her boss if he had returned, right?

Angel pushed himself until he was practically crawling his way out of the hotel, but he barely made it to the stairs before he was caught.

“Angel wait!! You’re still really hurt!” He heard Charlie before he saw her, Vaggie at the princess’s side.

“Agh…” he pried himself up onto the stair rail, “al, a-Alastor. Where is Alastor?!”

“He hasn’t returned since Husk brought you back,” Vaggie responded.

Had he visible skin, Angels face would have paled under the abundance of fur and fluff. He paid little attention to the concerned expressions on the approaching couple. He could only focus on trying not to panic, barely hearing Charlie as her hand met his shoulder.

“Look, we don’t completely know what’s going on. But we’ll answer what we can. Let us help you.”

And so, after one short reprimand from Niffty and a pillow at his back, Angel sat waiting. He looked to the demon princess.

“So, how the fuck am I alive?”

“Well, you probably shouldn't be,” Charlie began. “When Husk arrived back it looked like it was too late. But as it turns out, being the daughter of an all-powerful fallen angel has more perks than I thought it would,” Her look turned sheepish.

“Meaning that while she was able to partially heal you from the impossible, you're not fully out of the park yet.” Vaggie’s gaze held a soft fondness for her girlfriend, likely proud of her.

Though not in the same way, Angel was grateful. “Thanks. I know I don’t really say it much but—”

“It’s alright Angel.” She cut him off gently. “ I consider you a friend, I wouldn’t have just let you die if I could do something. Just, promise you’ll explain later, why your contract with Valentino is now in my office. And why its singed in my name. Please?”

“Sure. I owe you that much,” the spider nodded, “But you still haven’t told me where Alastor is.”

The way Charlie glanced nervously between him and Vaggie didn’t ease the sinking feeling in his chest.

“After he found you, well, he confronted Valentino. He wasn’t far off from finding you, Angel. So Alastor…. he gave Husk the chance to escape with you in his arms.” The hotel owner explained.

“.....” What. WHAT?

“Uhh, Angel? You alr-?” Charlie hesitated at the sight of Angels growing panic.

“ALASTOR WHAT!?”

* * *

“And how the fuck are _you_ so calm!?!” Angel glared at Charlie amidst his panic attack. He understood that Vaggie hadn’t given a shit about the Overlord from the getgo, but _Charlie? Really?_

“Maybe because it’s Alastor. You know. _The_ Radio Demon.” She responded confidently.

Angel wished he could share her optimism, but none of them knew Valentino the way he did. How low the overlord was willing to stoop to get what he wanted, how ruthless he could be when backed into a corner. It didn't matter that Alastor was just as powerful if not more so, he shouldn’t have been left alone.

Tears streaked down Angel’s face as awful thoughts had him backing away.

No, no, no, no, no! This is was all his fault, all of it! If something happens to Alastor —

Angel hadn’t expected to back into what felt like someone’s chest. From the surprised expressions on Charlie and Vaggie, they hadn't expected it either. Static hummed at his back, indulgent in an embrace that its master refrained from.

“Alastor!” Angel turned around to face the cannibal, only able to feel relief rather than focus on the aching reminder of his wound.

“Oh hello Angel, I see you’re doing better!” Something about his stare made the spider chuckle with an embarrassed blush. He felt like a fool, worrying like he did. Of course, Charlie was right.

Speaking of…

“Vaggie! Now is a good time to get a look at Angel’s contract!! Come help me!!” The hotel owner pushed her girlfriend past him and Alastor, “Glad to have you back Al! Get Angel back to bed please!” she shouted as the two left their sight. Angel and Alastor were alone.

“So, what took ya so long? Did something…. happen?” The spider was almost scared to ask.

“Well, yes.” The overlord seemed to be extra considerate of his word choice, “ I do wish to apologize for the delay but there is a good reason if you wish to know.”

“Yeah? And what’s that?” a playful smile found its way to Angel.

Flowers. It turned out to be flowers. Pink and white and purple, one of the prettiest bouquets he had ever seen. His whole face went red, thoughts and emotions racing.

“For….Me?” he hesitated in taking the offered assortment.

“It was quite difficult, finding such beauty in Hell, my dear.” As Alastor offered his arm, the two made their way back to Angels rooms.

He wasn’t just talking about the flowers.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - Somewhere in Alastor's suite, Valentino's head is mounted above the fireplace ;)


End file.
